1919] LORD RIDDELL'S INTIMATE DIARY R. : Apart from your speech the division was the most notable event of the Economy debate. It showed that there is and must be a strong line of cleavage between Labour on the one hand and the capitalist and middle-classes on the other. The Liberals stand for nothing. In fact they are more con- servative than a large section of the Unionists. L. G. : Quite true. The same thing occurred to me. The abstention of the Liberals from the division was the most notable event in the history of the country. Many of the young Conservatives, particularly the young officers who have re- turned from the Front, are most democratic in their views and anxious for reform. The so-called Liberal Party consists mostly of plutocrats who have no sympathy whatever with the aspi- rations of the mass of the people. Did you read Asquith, and what did you think of it ? R. : I thought it a poor performance. Naturally he is most anxious that the Liberal Party should be kept on foot, but does not indicate what it now represents. L. G. said that Henderson had made a pretty good speech, but that Clynes1 had made the best. I told L. G. that I had seen Inverforth and that he was angry and disgusted at the treatment he was receiving from the W.O.. L. G. seemed much annoyed and gave instructions to Evans, one of the secretaries, to take the matter up at once. 9TH. — Dined with L, G. at Cobham. Sir James Carmichael,2 who is looking after housing, was also there for a time. Earlier in the day I played golf with Seely,3 who said that unless the Prime Minister would agree to make the Air Ministry a separate Department he would have to resign, that the matter was being dealt with to-morrow at noon and that probably he would announce his resignation to-morrow afternoon, as he felt sure that L. G. had made up his mind not to agree to his requirements. I told L. G. that I thought Seely intended to resign if he did not get his way. L. G. said he would be sorry but there t. Hon. J. R. dynes, Food Controller, 1918-19, 2 Director-General of Housing in England and Wales, 1918-20. 3 Now Lord Mottistone; Under Secretary for Air and President of Air Council, Jan.-Nov. 1919. 139